To The Bone: An Honest Review

I don't usually write reviews, but I feel that Netflix' new addition To The Bone has been causing a stir among the mental health community, especially the eating disorder community. Having watched it last night I wanted to share my views because I know people apprehensive about watching it will want to know as much as they can without actually watching. There may be spoilers ahead!!

Summary

Ellen is a 20 year old artist and drop-out college student who lives with her father, stepmother and stepsister. With a largely absent father and a history of inpatient stays and struggles with anorexia, Ellen is convinced by her stepmother and stepsister to see a specialist, Dr William Beckham. He agrees to treat her on certain conditions, including a minimum of 6 weeks as an inpatient. Once she arrives at the house with 6 other patients, including 1 male patient Luke, she makes some progress but struggles greatly as success at the programme requires an existing wish and commitment to recover. After becoming close with Luke but being freaked out by his desire for further intimacy and the pregnant patient Megan having a miscarriage, Ellen (who by this point has changed her name to Eli) decides to run away, despite pleads from Luke to stay.

She then leaves for Phoenix where her mother lives with her girlfriend. That evening her mother admits her guilt and apologies over Ellen's anorexia, and a beautiful-to-watch moment happens where her mother actually feeds her with a bottle to show her the love she wished she'd given to her as a child. Following that evening Ellen goes for a walk, collapses from her illness and has a dream/hallucination sequence (is she dying?) where Luke tells her to come out of the sun and have a talk. He tells her how dazzling she is and they have a nice conversation. When she wakes up she decides to enrol back onto the inpatient programme with Dr Beckham and we see her last hugs with her stepmother and sister as she walks into the centre looking hopeful and ready to recover.

The controversy:

1. UK eating disorder charity Beat released a statement about To The Bone yesterday, stating that they are disappointed that Ellen's family were shown to be the main cause of her eating disorder. As they said: 'eating disorders are complex with no one single cause'.
2. In the same statement, Beat warned that 'There's a strong likelihood that people who have been affected by eating disorders would find the film highly distressing or triggering' due to talk of calories, weight, behaviours and images of Ellen at a low weight.
3.  One line of controversy comes from this article by the Guardian. One of their issues comes from the lack of demographic representation: 'All the anorexia patients, with one male exception, are young, attractive, middle-class white women, when the illness affects a far broader demographic'.
4. Another issue comes from the same article regarding Dr Beckham who describes his methods as unconventional. On this, the article writes that 'they're not: they rely on therapy and healthy eating, as almost all eating-disorder treatments do'.
   
5. Ellen's relations to Dr Beckham and also fellow patient Luke are brought into the spotlight of many articles which imply that the two males are her knights in shining armour. As the same article from the Guardian writes: 'The idea that all these hysterical female anorexia patients need is a couple of calm men to save them from themselves is, to put it mildly, grating'
6. There are also concerns about the depiction of anorexia, as Ellen wears thick eyeliner. Hadley Freeman writes from her own experiences that 'anorexia is not all thigh gaps and eyeliner', but rather hair falling out, coldness and bleeding knuckles due to dry skin.

My point of view:

I disagree with a lot of the controversial points above. For example:

1. Beat's view that Ellen's anorexia is shown to have one single cause: her family. It is true that her family dynamics play a huge part in the movie, but she also has a conversation with Luke where she describes entering puberty: 'The second you get boobs, it's like open season'. This NHS page describes one of the causes of anorexia as the 'hormonal changes and feelings of stress, anxiety and low self-esteem during puberty', as well as sexual abuse. What Ellen experienced with boys nipple-pinching her during puberty sounds like it would have caused some stress, anxiety and may have been a form of sexual abuse, whether intended or not.
2. The lack of demographic issue discussed by The Guardian may well be right, but to be surrounded by white, middle-class women in an inpatient facility is definitely not unusual, at least according to my experience. Sadly, in cultures and genders where eating disorders are less common it is less common to ask for help, linking to why they might not be seen where Ellen is (especially as this appears to be a private facility where people would be paying or covered by insurance for help). So it may not be demographically correct but it is probably reality.
3. In my view, Dr Beckham's methods are unconventional. To have choice over how much you eat in inpatient is very unusual, as well as having minimal supervision at meal times. Usually there is an 'eat what's on your plate' rule with a nurse watching you, even if is a less hospital-like environment such as Ellen's facility. This is certainly unconventional, as well as their random trip to the art exhibition, which seemed well-thought-out. Often trips out are for people much later in their treatment and are usually decided by the patient or to fellowship meetings or food outings, rather than a group trip to somewhere unique.
4. Dr Beckham - he may be a little annoying because he does come across quite smug and all-knowing. In fact, I think he puts Ellen at risk later in the film when he allows her to leave without being stopped so she can reach her 'rock bottom'. In real life at this point she would probably have been sectioned. But to give him credit, he does show genuine care. And to say that him and Luke are solely responsible for her readiness for recovery is just ridiculous. Everyone changes at their own rate and what causes Ellen's change in attitude is her rock-bottom experience for which nor Dr Beckham or Luke were actually present. 
5. Depiction of anorexia - yes it is true that Ellen wears eye-liner for most of the film. But I think we need to cut the film makers and costume designers some slack! Having an actress in make up and then reducing that level of makeup to coincide with the character's decline in physical and emotional state is a very common tool employed. At the end of the film due to her reduction in makeup, Ellen's appearance as someone very unwell is believable.

What I didn't like about the film:

• Luke is seen as very good for Ellen, because he is the only one who seems to have any kind of influence over her behaviours. But when Ellen leaves and he says to her that he 'needs' her, alarm bells rang for me. Perhaps this was to elicit emotion from the viewer, but it is a sign of real illness and codependence from him. If he is one of her more rational guides to recovery, despite still being unwell, I don't see why this bit had to be added in. 
• Talk of calories and weight. This seems to be a given for a film about anorexia but I don't think it has to be. I think it could have been made more accessible to all audiences, including those with eating disorders, if that had been skipped. Though then critics would probably have attacked the film saying it is a poor depiction of anorexia!
• The inpatient house is a little unrealistic. Part of a healthy community within inpatient is to actually encourage the 'snitching on' of patients who are acting out. There is no way you'd find a bag of vomit under someone's bed and not at least feel compelled to tell someone. That said, perhaps it's a sign of how unwell Ellen really is at this point.
• I did feel a little like the movie was cut short. But I think audiences have to understand that the film is not about her recovery. It is about a change in mindset which allows her to approach recovery with the commitments she needs for her own health.

In all, a great film if you remember that it's not trying to depict Ellen's entire recovery journey. It pulled me in emotionally and will strike familiarity with anyone who's experienced an eating disorder and its effects on yourself and your friends and family. 

Image from here
If you wish to watch To The Bone, it is available on Netflix.

What Film Studies Taught me About Life

So a couple of years ago I started to really enjoy going to the cinema a lot. Over the few months where I went to the cinema sometimes twice a week, I began to analyse what I was watching, and something started to shift in my perspective of life. This had a big impact on my life and I actually went on to study film studies as part of my degree.

In this blog post I will explore a few features of film which I believe positively impacted my life and wellbeing!

Motifs

So a motif (in film) is a term used to describe a salient, recurring element in a film. This means anything which pops up quite a bit, such as a bird in The Birds or a certain song, such as the piano music in The Conversation. 

A feature of motifs in film is that they often show variation throughout the film. For instance, a red door might be recurring in a film about a family. At the start a woman sits by the door alone, and by the end she happily walks into it with a boyfriend in arm. This is an example of development - the door is the same but the story has developed, and the door becomes a symbol of development.

When I started to notice motifs in films, I began to notice motifs in my own life. For example, a friend. Say you see this friend once when you're trying to find a job, next when you've found the job and you're working ... etc. When you see them, your friend is the same person (personality-wise), but your life has changed.

When you look back and think of all the changes, your friend becomes a motif which can show you your own development and how far you have come.

Mindfulness

When watching a film and analysing it a little, you find yourself watching out for things. For example, techniques such as sound, lighting and tonality (contrast and brightness) are things you might look out for. This process is very mindful.

When you come out of a film screening having analysed the film, you might find that you feel more aware of the environment around you. You might even feel like you're watching your life as a film, and the sunset in the sky has been almost deliberately put there by a director.

This is something which also applies to art. When I first started to appreciate art, sometimes I'd look up at a sunset and imagine it had been painted by a painter. It brought a lot of beauty and gratitude into the world which I might not have noticed before.

Character

The last thing I will write about is character. Last year I read a book called Story by Robert Mckee (available here), where Mckee talks about character development. He writes about how at the climax of a film, we see a development in the character shown when the character has to make a choice.

For instance, they might start as a grumpy, selfish person, who develops into a softer and more generous person, shown by an act of selflessness through a choice they make at the end of the film. This is very common in films and you may begin to notice more as you watch films!

If you look at your life as a film, and you have to make a choice, you can make choices based on your personality and self identity. This is particularly important if you have recently gone through a life change or recovery from mental health.

Choosing to get up and dressed in the morning can be a symbolic shift when you might a few weeks ago have chosen to stay in bed and watch Netflix all day. Development in film characters can inspire us to make choices in our own lives, which when repeated have a great impact.

Summary

I have loved film studies. Sadly I am not taking modules in it next year because I have decided to prioritise philosophy, which I am really excited about. But this will be a loss, and I am grateful for the fresh perspective film studies has given me in viewing my own life and life choices.

Thanks for reading, and please rush off to the cinema as soon as you can :) If you also feel strongly about film, feel free to share this blog post, comment or like!

Image source here

Solo Cinema Going: Not Only for the Lonely!

Does the idea of sitting in a cinema seat alone scare you? All those rows of identical seats with groups of people dispersed, munching happily on popcorn in the company of their friends and family, while you try to bear it out in the hope that you won't be noticed.

What if I told you it could be really different? You could actually find it a really nurturing and self discovering experience. With Odeon's new Limitless scheme (see more here), trying this out is easier and less expensive than ever before.

Steps to doing this in a less awkward and embarrassing, more enjoyable and self-nourishing way:

Picking a cinema and film

1) Pick your cinema

This might sound fussy but it is true that some cinemas are, well, nicer than others. You probably have a couple of local ones and some have nicer seats than others, you might prefer the atmosphere in one - a whole lot of things. Pick the one that feels right for you to get a good start to the experience.

The other thing is that some cinemas are novelty cinemas. For example, open-air cinemas (check out this Time Out article), and the lovely Everyman cinemas, which have sofas and service to your seat (see their website here). There are also drive-in cinemas. You might like to check these out with friends, but you might like to check out something like Everyman on your own.

2) Pick your film

If you're nervous, start out small. Go to a film which has been out for a little while, and to the cinema at a more unusual time (say the afternoon instead of the inevitably busier evening). You'll be surprised to see who else is there at that time. The first time I went to the cinema alone, my fellow audience was two other solo viewers!

Having said that, try to see a film you're actually interested in! Spend a little while looking at the trailers on the cinema's website and getting excited about the film. After all, that's what the trip is really about.


Entering the cinema

3) Stock up on comforts.

One great thing about going alone is not having to share the snacks! Take some time to browse the snacks and listen to yourself. What do you actually want? This trip is about nurturing yourself, so if you love salty popcorn and soda, go for it!

In terms of other comforts, when I go to the cinema I like to take a blanket! This idea might be a 'no way' for you, but it's something to think about, even when you go with friends - it gets cold sometimes in those places!

4) Use the self service or book online.

This can be really helpful, especially if you're nervous. Most cinemas now have a self service machine where you can book at your own pace without being afraid that the staff member is judging you. They're probably not - after all, you're giving them something to do at this probably quiet time of the day, but for those of you who can't help but be worried, the self service checkout is a good option.

Entering the screen

5) Pick a seat.

When you've entered the cinema,  pick a seat exactly where you want it! Don't settle for a seat on the outside if you like a central view, but if you like to sit on the aisle to be able to get out if you need to, do that. The beauty of being alone is that you can tailor it to exactly how you want it.

6) Notice the adverts.

One big part of discovering self identity was, for me, looking at the adverts for films and making my own judgements on them. They are great triggers for having opinions about things, and making a conscious effort to notice your opinions helps you to engage with your inner self.

It is also really mindful watching the adverts and the film because your attention is focused on the big screen in front of you - it is rare to become distracted and if you do it is easy to bring yourself back.

Enjoy the film!

Image from here